Published 3:12 pm, Friday, September 8, 2017

HARTFORD >> Connecticut businesses are “holding steady” — keeping a cautious eye on legislative priorities and the unresolved state budget — according to a survey released today.

Asked about their near-term outlooks, the largest share of business leaders surveyed or 49 percent said their companies are holding steady, down slightly from 51 percent last year. Another 36 percent said their companies are growing (unchanged from a year ago), and 16 percent are contracting (down from 13 percent last year), according to the 2017 Survey of Connecticut Businesses.

The survey, produced by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and BlumShapiro, was sent to businesses statewide in June and garnered 440 respondents.

Many businesses in the state are thriving, with 65 percent expecting to be profitable this year, while 24 percent expect to break even and 11 percent anticipate losses, the survey found.

“We continue to see positive signs for Connecticut’s business community — profitability is still up from five years ago and losses are at a 10-year low — despite the turmoil and lack of a state budget,” BlumShapiro CEO Joseph A. Kask said in a statement.